Chapter 1138: The City Massacre

"Young Master Mo, what exactly happened?"Back at the inn, Elder Ji cautiously asked Mo Hua. Although Elder Ji was fond of pleasure, his years of interacting with various cultivators had sharpened his mind, and he now sensed that something was amiss. Mo Hua initially didn't want to speak, but seeing Elder Ji's anxious expression and feeling his unease, he considered for a moment. Then, he set up a formation to block all sight and sound, and slowly said, "All the cultivators in this small Yicheng are facing a death calamity."

Elder Ji's face registered surprise. "Then... the city...""The city gates have been sealed."Elder Ji quickly asked, "Should we force our way out?"Mo Hua shook his head. "There are several Core Formation cultivators guarding it. Their cultivation is not low, at least mid-Core Formation. If we force our way out, we'll be pursued, and there will be unforeseen karmic repercussions.""Mid-Core Formation?" Fear gripped Elder Ji's heart. The Sect Master of Canglang Sect was only at the early Core Formation stage, and for a long time, he had been the only Core Formation cultivator in Canglang City. No one in Canglang Sect dared to defy his will. Yet, unexpectedly, upon arriving at this small Yicheng, there were Core Formation cultivators, at least mid-Core Formation, sealing the city. And there was more than one.

Elder Ji looked at Mo Hua. "Then, Young Master Mo..."Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll go out to assess the situation and devise a plan. You stay in the inn; don't wander around."Elder Ji thought about it and nodded. "Understood."Afterward, Mo Hua left the inn and walked onto the main street alone. The street was bustling with people, quite noisy. Most cultivators went about their daily business, completely unaware that their foreheads were darkened, indicating their impending doom.

"Core Formation cultivators sealing the city..." Mo Hua's brows furrowed in thought. He could escape if he wanted to; whether through stealth or breaking formations, none of it was difficult for him. However, he couldn't simply abandon all the cultivators in the city to their deaths. Even if he couldn't save the entire city, he wanted to save as many as possible. Unfortunately, time was too short. The enemy was unknown, the situation unclear, and without forewarning or preparation, many of his methods couldn't be deployed. Moreover, those gathered here were all strangers. Mo Hua's words carried little weight, and he couldn't rally them at all."I can only do what I can and leave the rest to fate," Mo Hua sighed softly. He then blended into the crowd, subtly circling the city walls of Yicheng, gaining a complete understanding of the surrounding terrain and formation structures. While others weren't paying attention, he hid in the shadows, using his spiritual sense to manipulate ink, beginning to dismantle array nodes and construct new formations.But time was still too pressing. The trap in Yicheng had clearly been set up for a long time, and the formation was very comprehensive. No matter how skilled Mo Hua was in formations or how quickly he could draw, he couldn't change the entire formation layout of Yicheng within one or two hours, especially while remaining unnoticed. That made it even more impossible.

An hour and a half later, the street traffic thinned, and the city guards rotated. Several Core Formation cultivators began patrolling. Mo Hua knew he had done all he could. He sighed, then pretended nothing was amiss, rejoining the flow of people and returning to the inn in the inner city.Once back at the inn, Mo Hua secluded himself in his room. He first used demon bone divination for a rough calculation, then performed a Heavenly Mystery Deduction to verify the karma. After that, he summoned Elder Ji and instructed him: "Tonight, disaster will strike. When chaos erupts, we will use the opportunity—"As he spoke, Mo Hua's pupils suddenly constricted as he looked at Elder Ji. Elder Ji, who originally had no death omen, now had a completely black forehead. Yet, before Mo Hua had left, Elder Ji had been perfectly fine.Mo Hua pondered for a moment, his expression solemn, and asked, "Where did you go just now? What did you do?"Elder Ji's eyes flickered, but he still smiled. "Young Master, what could I do? Didn't you tell me to wait here for you? I haven't moved an inch."Mo Hua's gaze was calm. "Tell me honestly, otherwise... you might lose your life."Elder Ji's face paled, his expression wavered slightly, but in the end, he hardened his heart and chuckled, "Young Master, how could I possibly deceive you? Besides, in this desolate place, where could I even go?"Mo Hua quietly watched Elder Ji, sighing internally. He then said, "No matter what happens tonight, you must stick with me."Elder Ji nodded repeatedly. "You can count on me."Mo Hua no longer paid him mind, returning to his room. He sat cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes to cultivate and plan his next moves.

As dusk settled, lanterns were lit along the streets. Their red, hazy glow shimmered in the night, resembling blood. Another hour passed, and it was now the Hai Shi (9 PM - 11 PM). The entire Yicheng grew quiet, most cultivators seemingly having fallen into slumber.Inside his guest room, Mo Hua opened his eyes. He released his spiritual sense, perceiving about seven or eight unknown, subtle yet powerful auras moving through Yicheng. All these individuals were Core Formation cultivators. They gathered together, then dispersed, occupying various corners of the small city.In the darkness, eerie whispers began to resonate. Chilling Yin energy surged from all directions. One by one, crimson formations slowly lit up, enveloping the entire Yicheng. The ground trembled slightly, as if something was crawling out from underground.Mo Hua's spiritual sense was powerful and acute, allowing him to perceive these putrid, sinister fluctuations. Yet, most cultivators in Yicheng remained immersed in the peaceful nighttime atmosphere, completely oblivious to the impending disaster.

It wasn't until terrifying screams erupted in the darkness:"Walking corpses!""Bastards! There are cultivators of the Corpse Dao here! Today, I—""No, there are bronze zombies too!""Third-grade bronze zombies!""...Run!"Panic spread, and the lights of various spiritual artifacts and spells flickered on in the night. But what intensified was the crimson evil light and the putrid stench of corpse qi. Accompanied by the roars of various walking corpses, iron corpses, and bronze corpses, mingled with the sounds of flesh tearing and bones crunching, the entire Yicheng gradually transformed into a Corpse Dao hell.Demonic cultivators had begun a massacre!In the cultivation world, unified under the Daoist Court and governed by its laws, the act of "massacring cities" had been "forbidden" for thousands of years. But now, with the Great Wilderness Rebellion and the reach of warfare, this inhuman atrocity had begun to reappear across the lands of the Nine Provinces. Furthermore, it was happening in Lizhou, Mo Hua's homeland.

The meticulous planning of these demonic cultivators was now clear. Taking advantage of the war, they had fashioned Yicheng into a "peaceful" haven, attracting cultivators from surrounding areas, especially Foundation Establishment cultivators, whose cultivation and wealth were considerable, making them ideal "lambs." This way, Yicheng's population would naturally grow, steadily drawing in more cultivators and becoming a tranquil "paradise."But all of this was merely an illusion. Once Yicheng was "fattened," the Core Formation demonic overlords would act, sealing the city and using bloody methods to directly slaughter the entire populace, transforming all the cultivators into zombies. The entire process was natural, covert, and left no traces. Compounded by the chaos of the war in Lizhou and the obscured heavenly secrets, even Mo Hua, who understood karmic arts, could only perceive this disaster half a day in advance. Ordinary cultivators caught within it had no chance of detecting the danger; by the time they truly realized it, it was already too late. The iron and bronze zombies had already begun "eating people"—

Seven or eight Core Formation cultivators were guarding the city, along with countless corpse cultivators and various iron and bronze zombies, all rampaging through the city. The demonic cultivators had indeed put a great deal of effort into this massacre.Mo Hua, however, could do little. He was an array master, proficient in formations, which relied on foresight and pre-arrangement. The more formations an array master could set up in advance, the stronger they became. Conversely, without sufficient opportunity to deploy enough formations, an array master's power was severely limited. Although Mo Hua was different from ordinary array masters, possessing the miraculous ability of spiritual sense-controlled ink that allowed him to set up formations on the spot, he was, after all, only at the Foundation Establishment stage. These spontaneously deployed formations could only suppress cultivators of the same realm and posed no significant threat to Core Formation cultivators.Furthermore, his spiritual sense transforming into a sword could not be used at the moment. Even if he could use it, he would be no match for seven or eight Core Formation demonic cultivators. The Demonic Heart Seed Technique also required preparation, preconditions, and language as a medium. In the current "city massacre" situation, these Core Formation demonic cultivators only wanted to kill and would not allow themselves to utter a single extra word."The Foundation Establishment realm... it's still too low," Mo Hua sighed deeply, his expression grave.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion, followed by cultivators' terrified and furious cries, and the sounds of flesh splattering. Then, a putrid stench spread from downstairs to upstairs. The stairs began to tremble, and something clawed at the walls. In just a moment, the doors and windows burst open, and several struggling iron corpses charged inside.Mo Hua raised his hand, conjuring a lava-like fireball that instantly incinerated the heads of two iron corpses, turning them to ash. The iron corpses collapsed.Mo Hua moved to leave, knowing he couldn't stay in the inn any longer. But as he passed the adjacent room, he found it empty; Elder Ji was nowhere to be seen. Mo Hua frowned. He had been so focused on observing the movements of the Core Formation corpse cultivators that he had forgotten to keep an eye on Elder Ji, and thus hadn't noticed when he disappeared. However, Mo Hua then reconsidered; Elder Ji's life or death was none of his concern, and he was too lazy to bother. So, Mo Hua concealed himself, suppressing his aura, and left the inn alone.

Midway, Mo Hua couldn't help but sigh again, feeling a lingering concern. After all, they had traveled together for some time, and a degree of camaraderie had formed. Mo Hua's fingers twirled in his sleeve, pulling out a copper coin. He activated the Heavenly Mystery Deduction in his mind to divine Elder Ji's whereabouts.A moment later, karmic energy fluctuated. Mo Hua identified the direction and headed down the street to his right. The scenes along the way were gruesome. The tragedy of Yicheng was fully unfolding. One cultivator after another fell to the chilling, venomous claws of the zombies, only to be gnawed beyond recognition. Mo Hua could only act covertly, throwing fireballs as much as possible to blast the corpse cultivators and zombies, trying to alleviate the pressure on the city's cultivators. Thus, he continued forward along the karmic thread, killing zombies as he went.

Eventually, he arrived before a richly decorated pavilion with closed doors and windows, draped in blue curtains. Taking advantage of the chaos, Mo Hua broke through the pavilion's doors and windows and entered. Inside, everything was pink, and a rich, cloying fragrance permeated the air.Downstairs, the main hall was also in disarray, men and women mingling, caressing each other, their clothes disheveled. Everyone seemed completely engrossed in carnal desires, utterly unaware of the impending catastrophe.Mo Hua ascended to the second floor. The entire second floor was filled with pink boudoirs, their doors closed, from within which came suppressed sounds of intimacy. Mo Hua frowned and walked along the pink corridor, directly to a closed boudoir door. With a flick of his hand, ink floated in the air, forming array patterns that unraveled the formation and opened the door. A more intense and decadent floral scent wafted out. Mo Hua held his breath and entered the room, where he saw Elder Ji. Elder Ji lay on the bed, his face as pale as wax, his upper body bare, skin loose and clinging to his bones, as if all his flesh and blood had been drained. His lower body was bleeding incessantly, saturating half the bed.

Seeing Mo Hua, Elder Ji gave a bitter smile, his voice hoarse, and slowly said, "She told me her mother died young, her father was a gambler, she had a younger brother to support, and that as a beauty, her fate was bitter, forcing her to abandon her dignity and accompany men...""Her eyes held pride, but beneath me, her expression was one of humiliation...""Perhaps she was too beautiful; I actually believed her...""I've heard such nonsense my whole life, yet I actually believed it, I actually believed it...""I actually thought she was different, that I wanted to take care of her for the rest of my life, to treat her well forever..."Elder Ji parted his lips, chuckling self-deprecatingly. This laugh aggravated his injuries, and his remaining vitality drained even faster. Despite his pale face, his forehead was as black as a black hole.Elder Ji seemed to understand something. He slowly raised his head, looking at Mo Hua with a complicated gaze. "Young Master Mo... indeed, nothing is more important than life... I should have cultivated diligently, Young Master Mo, I should have lived well, cultivated well...""Young Master Mo—""I—"Two lines of hot tears streamed down his cheeks, then grew cold. Elder Ji's life force was extinguished.

Mo Hua remained silent for a long time, a hint of sorrow appearing in his eyes. He stepped forward and gently closed Elder Ji's resentful eyes. Lowering his gaze, he saw a crimson plum blossom mark on Elder Ji's chest. This plum blossom seal was vibrant red, alluring, and beautiful, containing a captivating, lustful allure."Dual Cultivation—"Elder Ji had died from a 'harvesting' technique, and it was an extremely vicious one. This extreme form of harvesting was unique to the Joyous Demonic Sect. The flower seal itself was also a mark of the Joyous Sect.

Mo Hua cast a deep, complicated look at the deceased Elder Ji, then turned and left the room. By now, the pink fragrance in the boudoirs had grown even more decadent and corrupting. The gasps of men previously immersed in pleasure had transformed into agonizing wails of pain and despair. The women's laughter, once coyly charming and full of affectionate whispers, became shrill, piercing, and sinister cackles of malicious glee. Amidst the pervasive pink haze, the entire pavilion became a hell of dual cultivation, overflowing with debauchery and suffering.

Mo Hua's gaze turned cold as he descended the pavilion to the main hall. The hall was equally debauched and gruesome. The pavilion's hall seemed to be isolated from the outside world, forming two distinct realms: one pink, one crimson. Outside, zombies devoured people. Inside, the female cultivators of the Joyous Sect were also "devouring" people. These were two demonic sects, offering humans as sacrifices to their respective Paths.

In the entire hall, the only person sitting at a table drinking, undisturbed by any women, was a pale-faced young master. This young master, with an extraordinary demeanor, poured and drank alone, completely out of place amidst his surroundings. Before him was a decadent scene interwoven with pleasure and bloodshed, yet his eyes held only appreciation, devoid of any desire, as if he merely observed a group of "dead cultivators" engaging in intercourse.This pale-faced young master had also met Mo Hua once before."Young Master Shi—"

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened as he stealthily observed Young Master Shi. To his surprise, Young Master Shi seemed to sense something. He immediately waved his hand, summoning white corpse qi that materialized into ghostly claws, sweeping around Mo Hua."White corpse qi?" Mo Hua's pupils constricted. He flashed, evading the white corpse qi claws, and then his figure gradually became visible.Young Master Shi fixed his gaze on Mo Hua, recognized his face, and said with some surprise, "It's you?"Mo Hua remained silent. Young Master Shi's brows furrowed slightly. The two stood there, facing each other.

Just then, several female cultivators of the Joyous Sect, seeing Mo Hua's handsome face, couldn't resist their carnal desires and coveted his body. Like alluring serpents, they entwined themselves around him. Mo Hua casually conjured several fireballs, incinerating these Joyous Sect female cultivators into charcoal.Upon seeing this, Young Master Shi's pupils constricted. He was only at the Foundation Establishment realm, yet the mastery and power of his fireball spell were astonishingly refined. Moreover, this fireball spell contained extremely pure malevolent qi? Was he also a member of the demonic path? Was he a direct descendant of the Demonic Fiend Sect?Young Master Shi's pale eyes fixed on Mo Hua. The more he looked, the more confused and alarmed he became. Earlier at the inn, his hasty glance hadn't paid much attention. Now, upon closer inspection, he realized that Mo Hua's aura was obscure, as if veiled in mist, making him inscrutable. And his face, like a painting and jade, was breathtakingly beautiful."Who exactly are you?" Young Master Shi asked coldly.Mo Hua still didn't reply. Meanwhile, his figure began to fade, seemingly not wanting further entanglement. As Mo Hua performed his stealth technique and was about to disappear, Young Master Shi snorted coldly. He drew out a golden bell with a backhand sweep and gently shook it.

Suddenly, a golden coffin rose from the ground. The Corpse Dao array seals on the golden coffin unlocked, and a golden-yellow zombie emerged from within. This zombie was a bronze zombie, but its limbs and claws were already coated in a layer of gold. It had directly transformed from a bronze zombie to a gold zombie. This was an extremely rare and esteemed type of zombie in the Corpse Dao, almost impossible to encounter. Among Foundation Establishment corpse cultivators, controlling such a zombie was virtually unheard of.Young Master Shi summoned the bronze zombie, his gaze cold and arrogant, and pointed at Mo Hua, commanding, "Kill!"The gold-plated bronze zombie immediately opened its eyes, a foul wind erupted, and it transformed into a golden streak of light, lunging directly at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua, halfway through his stealth technique, frowned slightly. Seeing the bronze zombie lunging, he initially intended to use a movement technique to dodge. Yet, for some unknown reason, upon seeing the zombie, a "violent" emotion instinctively surged within him, as if provoked by a "petty corpse creature," and he became enraged.A terrifying expression appeared on Mo Hua's face, his pupils vertically slit, glowing with an eerie bronze hue. In his eyes, reflections of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood appeared. Mo Hua looked directly at Young Master Shi's bronze zombie, his gaze authoritative, and sternly rebuked, "Scram!"The originally ferocious bronze zombie, upon receiving this rebuke, instantly felt the oppressive power of the Heavenly Evil Dao laws. It instinctively felt fear, not daring to harm Mo Hua in the slightest, lest it commit the great sin of desecrating a monarch. The bronze zombie was shocked, frozen in place, unable to move.

Young Master Shi's face changed drastically, his eyes wide with disbelief. Meanwhile, Mo Hua glanced at Young Master Shi, and killing intent arose within him. This Young Master Shi had an extraordinary background and could manipulate white corpse qi, which was also extremely strange. Mo Hua usually could not casually commit murder, but such a high-ranking demonic cultivator was worth breaking his principles for; he could be killed.Mo Hua joined his fingers, conjuring a fireball. His spiritual sense subtly moved, forming an array on the ground, intending to slay Young Master Shi then and there. But precisely at that moment, a warning sign suddenly appeared in his mind. Mo Hua's pupils constricted as he looked at Young Master Shi's forehead. He saw a blood-colored talisman, cultivated with life force, deeply hidden in his Palace of Fate. This blood-colored talisman—he had seen it before: "The Demonic Immortal Talisman—"